Seismic images of deep-seated structures

在萨斯喀彻温省和马尼托巴省的几个地方，地震和地质研究表明，目前的地表地质是由两个古老大陆的碰撞造成的，它们之间的主要海洋消失了。地震数据还显示，在地表以下，夹在这些碰撞大陆之间的是海底岩石的残余物和小的大陆碎片。在稍深一些的地方（向南700公里）进行的类似调查也得出了类似的结果。为了确定这些孤立结果的直接亲缘关系，并确定局部确定构造的区域范围，利用了中间地区石油勘探和钾肥工业收集的地震信息片段。研究的第一个主要步骤是开发计算机技术，消除在检测数据时产生的噪声干扰引起的各种观测结果中的差异。然后，至少在~ 10-12公里的深度组装出地球内部的三维图像。结果可能非常显著；首先，通过展示一个1000公里长的大陆板块是如何在地质时代形成的；其次，通过确定该地区地质的复杂性，可以对该地区潜在的经济矿化进行评估。在被调查地区的北部，高度活跃的铀和钻石勘探行业急于了解他们感兴趣地区下面的地球内部的性质。在南部，最近的石油发现表明，新的储层形成于地球深层部分受到干扰的地方。此外，新图像可能指示构造变化，这些变化影响了钾矿床的沉积环境。因此，新的信息可以帮助采矿组织将注意力集中到异常区域。绘制深层区域结构可能有助于解释该大陆是如何形成的，同时也有助于识别新资源的重要区域。

In several localities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, seismic and geological studies revealed that the present surface geology was created by collision of two ancient continents through the elimination of a major ocean between them. The seismic data also showed that below the surface, sandwiched between these collided continents, are remnants of the rocks of the ocean floor and small continental fragments. Similar results were derived by comparable investigations, in somewhat greater depths, 700 km to the south. To determine direct kinship of these isolated results and establish regional extent of the locally defined structures, segments of seismic information, collected by the oil exploration and the potash industries in the intervening region, are utilized. The first major step of the research is to develop computer techniques which eliminate the discrepancies in the various observations caused by noise interferences generated at the time of detection of the data. Then a 3- dimensional image of the interior of the Earth is assembled at least to a depth of ~ 10-12 km. The results can be highly significant; first, by showing how a 1000 km long segment of the continent was assembled through geologic times; second, by establishing the complexities of the geology of the region, assessment may be made about  potentially economic mineralizations in the area.  In the northern part of the investigated region, the highly active uranium and diamond exploration industries are anxious to learn about the nature of the Earth's interior beneath their regions of interest. In the south, recent oil discoveries indicate that the new reservoirs were formed in places where segments of the deeper parts of the Earth were disturbed. In addition, the new images may indicate structural changes, which influenced depositional environments of the potash ore deposits. Consequently the new information can help focus attention of the mining organizations to anomalous regions.  Mapping deep regional structures may help to explain how the continent was constructed and at the same time suggest recognition of important zones for new resources.